Substance Use Intervention & Treatment (SUIT)

Dr. Rachel Alinsky, MD, MPH

Background: Dr. Alinsky is a quadruple-boarded adolescent medicine and addiction medicine physician, who specializes in the treatment of a wide range of physical and mental health conditions for adolescents and young adults. She earned her MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine, and went on to complete a dual residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She then completed a dual fellowship in Adolescent Medicine and Addiction Medicine at Johns Hopkins, where she also earned her Masters in Public Health. She has a strong passion for increasing access to addiction treatment for adolescents and young adults, and has performed health services and systems research on this topic that has been published in JAMA Pediatrics and the Journal of Adolescent Health. She is also dedicated to combating stigma regarding substance use and people who use substances, and led a policy statement for the American Academy of Pediatrics focused on changing the language all pediatric providers use to discuss substance use to be medically-accurate, person-first, and non-stigmatizing. 

Clinical Care: Dr. Alinsky joined the University of Maryland University Health Center in 2023 as the inaugural Medical Director of the Substance Use Intervention and Treatment (SUIT) unit, where she oversees substance use disorder treatment services and provides addiction medicine treatment for undergraduate and graduate students who have concerns about their use of alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs. She works with students across a full spectrum of substance use severity, whether that is binge drinking that has started to cause problems, cannabis use that has become more compulsive, to severe addiction. She also provides primary and subspecialty adolescent medicine care at the UHC (such as inclusive sexual and reproductive health care, gender affirming care, complex contraceptive management), with a particular focus on the overlap and interconnection of physical health conditions with mental health and substance use concerns. She collaborates closely with multidisciplinary team members across the health center, including substance use therapists, behavioral health therapists, psychiatrists, sports medicine, other medical providers in the acute and primary care units, as well as medical specialists outside of UMD.

Approach: Whether in primary care or in the SUIT unit, Dr. Alinsky loves getting to know students in order to learn about what is most important to them as individuals, and understand
their own personal goals for their health, academics/career, relationships, and beyond. She then collaborates with students to develop individualized treatment plans to help them reach their goals, whether that goal is abstinence, harm reduction, improved sports performance, or something else. This treatment can include medication for addiction treatment (such as Naltrexone/Vivitrol, buprenorphine/Suboxone, nicotine replacement) as well as treatment for co-occurring anxiety, depression, or physical health conditions. Her background in both adolescent and addiction medicine allows her to fully address the physical health complications that may be related to students’ substance use, including chronic nausea, appetite/eating problems, headaches, breathing or cardiovascular problems, sleep issues, and more. Dr. Alinsky is always happy to speak with students considering engaging in substance use treatment or adolescent medicine care, to talk through what to expect at a visit, available resources, potential treatment strategies, and answer any other questions students may have when trying to decide if seeking services is right for them. She aims to be student-centric, trusting students as the experts in their own life and equal partners in creating a treatment that works for them.

Pamela Almandrez, LCPC 

Pamela is a seasoned Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over a decade of dedicated experience, specializing in working with older teens and young adults. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Bowie State University. Pamela also earned a Masters from the Nation’s first Master program in Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. 

In her practice Pamela incorporates psychoeducation and evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. As a passionate advocate for collegiate recovery, Pamela actively promotes harm reduction practices, offering both mandated and voluntary services to ensure a comprehensive and individualized approach to wellness.

Linda Nnaji, LCPC

Linda Nnaji is a Licensed Clinical Practical Counselor with over a decade of experience in the mental health field, specializing in the treatment of individuals with co-occurring disorders. She received a B.A in Psychology from Trinity University and M.A in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University. 

Creating a strong foundation through the utilization of evidence based practices, she offers compassionate, client-centered care to support those navigating the complex challenges of both mental health and substance use disorders. Throughout her career Linda has worked in a variety of clinical settings, ranging from outpatient treatment centers to integrated care programs. This diverse experience has equipped her with the skills necessary to develop effective, individualized treatment plans that promote lasting recovery and personal growth.

Nicole Burke, LMSW

Nicole is a dedicated and experienced Licensed Masters Social Worker, specializing in substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. She holds a B.A. and a Masters in Psychology from the Catholic University of America, in addition to a Masters of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Before moving to Maryland, Nicole worked in New York where she provided behavior and symptom management to adults with co-occurring disorders and intellectual disability. She also has experience working with children and their families through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based approach that helps individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Nicole’s diverse experience and knowledge of evidence-based treatments works seamlessly with both mandated and voluntary clients, ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment for all
individuals seeking assistance.

The SUIT program is committed to reducing stigma against individuals affected by or who use substances. This includes using medically-accurate, person-first, non-stigmatizing language in our written and verbal communication with students, colleagues, and the public, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, The American Medical Association, and the National Institutes of Health. 

Examples include using language such as “substance use” or “substance use disorder” rather than “substance abuse,” using person-first language such as “a person who uses drugs” or “a person with a substance use disorder” rather than “drug abuser,” “addict,” or “alcoholic.” We remain committed to breaking down stigma through our clinical work as well as advocacy and education.       

Our licensed therapists provide several different types of counseling/therapy services. These are open to students referred voluntarily interested in therapy, or for students sanctioned to receive mandatory services from the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) or The Office of Rights & Responsibilities (R&R). 

Healthy Terps

• This early intervention and education program is intended for students charged with low-level alcohol or cannabis related violations of campus policy, referred from OSC or R&R.
• Students will complete two brief online screenings (for alcohol and cannabis) before attending a 60 minute individual appointment to discuss their personalized feedback and how their alcohol, cannabis, or other substance use may be impacting their life.
• Alcohol Screening
• Cannabis Screening

Substance Assessment & Intervention Program (SAIP)

• This early intervention and assessment program is intended for students charged with more concerning alcohol or drug-related violations of campus policy or overall concerning impact of substance use.
• This is also open to students voluntarily interested in seeking therapy services for any substance use, behavioral addiction, or co-occurring mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, etc).
• Students will be directed to complete an intake questionnaire on the university health portal after scheduling an appointment (https://myuhc.umd.edu/). They will then attend a 90 minute individual intake appointment to discuss their mental health and substance use history and current symptoms or situation. The SUIT therapist will then make a recommended individualized treatment plan. For students sanctioned to receive mandatory evaluation, the assigned treatment could range from one to eight individual counseling sessions.   

Short-term or Long-term Counseling

• Students interested in short-term or long-term counseling for substance use, behavioral addiction, and/or co-occurring mental health concerns will start with an “SAIP” intake assessment. 

Our team includes an Addiction Medicine physician, a medical subspecialty focused on the treatment of substance-related health conditions including addiction. 

Any student interested in exploring whether medication treatment may be helpful for them is welcome to schedule an appointment. Students may self-refer, or referrals can come from health center or campus partners. Services can include the following:

• Medication for addiction treatment – to ease withdrawal symptoms (ie. insomnia, irritability, anxiety), prevent or manage cravings. Examples include naltrexone (Vivitrol) for alcohol, buprenorphine (Suboxone) for opioids, or symptomatic management.
• Nicotine or tobacco cessation resources – including nicotine replacement, medication treatment, behavioral resources
• Harm reduction services: dispensing of naloxone/narcan, fentanyl and xylazine test strips for drug checking
• Medication treatment of co-occurring mental health disorders (ie. depression, anxiety, etc)
• Integrated primary care & treatment of related physical health conditions within the same visit
• Collaboration with SUIT therapists

Starting new as of Sept 4th 2025, we are offering an in-person SMART Recovery program. SMART Recovery® stands for “Self-Management and Recovery Training,” and is a mutual self-help group that uses evidence-based strategies for behavioral change. 

• This program supports individuals considering or in the process of making a change in their substance use (whether that is cutting down, or abstaining)
• SMART also supports recovery from addictive behaviors (such as gambling, pornography, or screens)
• Each group meeting includes sharing experiences and participating in structured activities/discussions to help improve well-being.

Logistics:

• When: Thursdays when classes are in session | 3-4pm
• Where: University Health Center, Behavioral Health group room, 2nd floor
• Free (no fee)
• Open to all students on a drop in basis (no appointment necessary, you do not already have to be receiving SUIT services)
• To join our confidential email listserv (for event reminders, helpful tools), or for any questions, send an email to: uhc-smartrecovery@umd.edu
• To see our meeting information: https://meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/8718/ 

General Campus Resources

• Accessibility and Disability services
• Dean of Students Office
• Thrive Center for Essential Needs: housing or food insecurity, economic crisis response grant
• Campus pantry
• Fostering Terp Success
• International Students & Scholars
• Student legal aid 

Campus Substance Use or Recovery Resources

• University Health Center Pharmacy – Narcan (naloxone), and drug checking kits (fentanyl and xylazine test strips) are available anonymously and for free for any students or staff anytime the UHC pharmacy is open
• University Health Center’s Health Promotion & Wellness team’s Substance Use and Harm Reduction Education program - for our overdose response program (including naloxone distribution and trainings), harm reduction resources (ie. T-break guide), education, and recovery resources
• Terps for Recovery, the student group on campus for students in recovery or who are sober/working on getting sober. They have meetings every week, see their website for most up to date information

Resources for Family Members or Other Concerned Loved Ones

• SMART Recovery - Family & Friends:
• Al-Anon - the general Al-anon is for family members of people struggling with alcohol use disorder but the general advice & support is similar for any addiction. There are variations for other substances like Nar-Anon or crystal meth anonymous
• Partnership to end addiction - online support group meetings

Family CRAFT training (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) 

This is a program designed for caregivers of young people with substance use disorder, specifically teaching skills for parents to use. Here are some options for accessing this type of training:  

• Online-self-guided CRAFT
• To find an individual certified CRAFT provider, click here
• There is also a comprehensive e-learning platform, free 7 day trial and $59 for 6 months --
• You can find more about the CRAFT approach on this website from the Partnership to End Addiction 

SUIT meets individual students wherever they are in their stage of change, whether their goal is abstinence or just harm reduction. We help minimize harm caused by substance use and focus on helping them achieve their overall goals.

• We do not bill insurance (for students’ privacy)
• Addiction Medicine visits: $25
• Therapy visits: all appointments with SUIT therapists are $15, no matter the type

Fees are waived for the following: 

• students covered by the responsible action policy,
• students with Medicaid health insurance, or financial hardship (as discussed with SUIT provider)
• reduced fees are also available, as discussed with SUIT provider
• all health center fees are included in SHIP insurance

Student medical records are not linked to academic records. Investigators are required to present valid HIPAA-compliant patient authorization forms and other supporting documentation. If you have additional questions please contact our office.

Our records are similar to any other record from a medical provider. They remain confidential between the student and their providers at the UHC, except in certain situations:

• Student gives written permission for someone else to obtain their records
• Student divulges information about child or elder abuse, we are mandated to report
• Student reports a plan to hurt themselves or others, we are mandated to report
• We notify the person who referred them to us when they’ve completed their sanction, but don’t share any further information.

• Individuals must be a current undergraduate or graduate student of the University of Maryland, College Park in order to participate in SUIT programs. For the SUIT program, this is defined as students actively enrolled for the current and/or upcoming semester.
• The SUIT program will not perform mandatory intervention/assessment services for individuals who have graduated, withdrawn, or transferred from UMD after the beginning of the next academic term. These students may work with their referring office (Rights & Responsibilities, or Office of Student Conduct) to determine equivalent off-campus evaluation services in the community to satisfy university requirements. A comprehensive listing of substance use disorder services can be found online here. 

• The Substance Use Intervention & Treatment Fund was established to support intervention and treatment programs for students struggling with substance use and substance use disorders through the University of Maryland, University Health Center.
• Consider donating to the substance use intervention & treatment fund.

• Only students can schedule an appointment for themselves, so you may encourage or help them call to schedule an initial appointment with our team
• For urgent or life threatening concerns, you can make a report to the Behavioral Evaluation & Threat Assessment (BETA) team
• If you or someone you know are in need of urgent substance use treatment at a higher level of care than our SUIT team provides, check out findtreatment.gov to find substance use disorder treatment near you. Please note that you can filter available options to show those that offer detoxification services, which usually offer same-day admissions. Two nearby substance use disorder treatment programs are the Maryland Treatment Centers and Kolmac.
• If you or someone you know is having symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, this can be life-threatening and should be treated in a hospital setting. Please go to your nearest emergency room.

• If you or someone you know is at risk of an opioid overdose we recommend having naloxone (known as "narcan") available. This is an easy-to-use medication that can save someone's life if they are having an overdose. Remember that opioid overdoses can happen when someone knows they are using drugs that contain opioids or when someone uses a drug that has been secretly laced with opioids (such as a pressed pill, or cocaine)
• To pick up naloxone for free, stop by the University Health Center pharmacy between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
• Naloxone is also available in all public AED (defibrillator) boxes on the UMD Campus
• When using naloxone for a suspected overdose, always call 911.
• To learn more about administering naloxone, or other places to get it on campus, visit https://go.umd.edu/naloxone.